PM Modi chairs another high-level meeting on Ukraine crisis, reviews evacuation process

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday chaired another high-level meeting to review the efforts to evacuate Indian nationals, mostly students, stranded in Ukraine.

This is the fifth meeting in as many days where the PM has been discussing with top officials of the government about the ongoing efforts taken under Operation Ganga for the return of Indians from Ukraine amid military operations by Russia.

The meeting comes amid reports of an Indian student being shot at in Kyiv and hospitalised. Union minister General VK Singh on Friday said he had received reports that a student who has been shot at has been hospitalised.

The meeting is being attended by Minister of Commerce & Industry Piyush Goyal, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla, National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval and senior officials.

At the virtual meeting of the Quad leaders o Thursday, PM Modi "emphasised the need to return to a path of dialogue and diplomacy" for a way forward in the Ukraine crisis.

In his remarks, PM Modi also reiterated the importance of adhering to the UN Charter, international law and respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity.

PM Modi himself had spoken to Russian President Putin regarding safe passage to Indians from the conflict zone.

The government has also deployed 'special envoys' to four neighbouring countries bordering Ukraine to coordinate and oversee the evacuation process of Indian nationals.

Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri will oversee evacuation efforts in Hungary, Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju in Slovakia, Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia in Romania and Minister of State for Road Transport & Highways and Civil Aviation Gen VK Singh in Poland.

Eighteen thousand Indian nationals have left Ukraine since the first travel advisory was issued by the Indian Embassy in Ukraine, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Thursday.

The Indian Air Force and several private airlines are operating evacuation flights to bring back Indians who crossed from Ukraine into Romania, Hungary, Poland and Slovak republic.